I've only made pulled pork twice before, and I used the same recipe both times. It was delicious, but I'm always up for trying something new. When I saw this recipe, I decided it would be a good idea to forego the rolls and stuff a sweet potato with the pork instead. When I suggested it to Joel, he thought that was strange, so he ate his as a regular sandwich..on bread, because we didn't go to the store to buy rolls. Of course, when we finished dinner, he commented that the bread was not the right choice and that stuffing the sweet potato wasn't such a bad idea after all! It wasn't; the potato served as the perfect vehicle for the pork, and I didn't even miss the bread!

Because I am the type of person who usually fails to read a recipe all the way through until it's too late, I feel like I have to include this clause in case any of you are the same way. Because of the use of the crock pot, this meal takes a bit of planning ahead. I had it on my menu for about 3 days before I actually made it because I didn't plan for the appropriate time and I didn't feel like eating at 10pm! However, this morning, I was able to prep everything as I was boiling my water for tea, and I had everything ready before I walked out the door for work. Let me tell you, walking into a house filled with the delicious aroma of barbecue is not a bad way to end a long day at work!

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; sear the roast on each side, 2-4 minutes or until slightly golden, then remove to the crock pot. Add the beer, soy sauce, liquid smoke, shallots, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and cumin to the crock pot. Rotate the meat to coat. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 6 hours. (Ours cooked on low for 10 hours and was perfectly tender when I went to pull it.)

Before serving, scrub the sweet potatoes under cold water and pat dry. Wrap each potato in foil and bake at 400 degrees for 60-75 minutes, or until a fork poked into the potato can be easily removed without resistance. Drain all but 1/2-1 cup of liquid from the crock pot. Using 2 forks, shred the meat to desired consistency. Remove all but about 16 ounces of pork from the crock pot, add the BBQ sauce, stir, and cover to warm through for 5-10 minutes. Cut a large slit in the top of each potato and loosen the flesh to create an opening. Add 4 ounces of pulled pork to the top of each potato and serve. Freeze remaining pulled pork for another day!